Originally from India, I came to the US to pursue a doctorate in economics at the University of Chicago. After completing my doctorate, I worked for over two decades, initially as an assistant professor of economics at Penn State University for 3-4 years before moving to international development at the World Bank. Most recently, I worked as Lead Consultant at the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education. After my two children grew up, I decided to return to school to pursue my research interests in the emotional and mental wellbeing aspects of human development and their intersections with economics and education. Outside of work, I like spending time with family and friends, enjoy plants and coming up with easy vegan recipes.

Publications

Hoff, K., and Pandey, P. (2026) (in press). Caste in Stone. Chapter in the Handbook of the Economics of Identity, edited by Rachel Kranton and George Akerlof. Preprint available as CAGE Working paper, University of Warwick and Economic and Social Research Council. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/research/centres/cage/manage/publications/wp787.2026.pdf

Priyanka P., Sahadevan, K G, Hastings, P.D. (2026). Teacher stress and engagement: Implications for student learning in India, Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 176, July 2026, 105504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2026.105504

Pandey, P., Sahadevan, K. G., & Hastings, P. D. (2025). Association of affirmative action with health and education outcomes and services in India. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 122(41), e2502290122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2502290122